iPad scams spread on Facebook and Twitter

Staff writer, 2nd March 2010

Facebook and Twitter scams are sweeping the net, offering users the chance to beta test an Apple iPad.

One offending Facebook page is headed 'iPad Researchers Wanted - Want to beta test Apple's latest product?'. It encourages readers to become fans, and to recruit their friends - this, it says, increases your chances of being accepted for the beta.

But applying for the offer brings a pop-up window purporting to be a quiz - and requesting information such as date of birth and cellphone number.

"That's where the scam happens," says Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at security firm Sophos. "The hackers who created this page are trying to sign you up for a premium rate cellphone service, that will charge you something like $10 a week until you unsubscribe."

A similar scam is also doing the rounds on Twitter.

"The good news is that after I alerted Facebook's security team about this page they disabled it very promptly," says Cluley.

"However, the bad news is that there are many other similar Facebook pages being created on the social network designed to scam unsuspecting users."